EU states weigh commission deal

The EU is set to add 10 new members next May

Members and future members of the European Union have "broadly agreed" to enlarge the body's executive arm so all 25 states will have a commissioner.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini announced the agreement as two days of talks on a future European constitution ended in Naples.

Progress has also been made on efforts to strengthen EU military co-operation.

But major constitutional disagreements remain on voting systems and the role given to Europe's Christian heritage.

The meeting - hosted by Italy, which currently holds the EU presidency - brought together foreign ministers from the union's 15 current and 10 future members.

EU leaders are now facing a two-week deadline to finalise the constitution of an enlarged European bloc before a summit on 12-13 December.

Full participation

The draft constitution had proposed slimming down the EU executive to 15 voting members and 10 non-voting ones.

We can say that the embryo of a European defence is under way Louis Michel Belgian Foreign Minister Common ground in Naples

The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Naples says Mr Frattini's announcement represents an important victory for the smaller countries, which feared they would be left without voting rights on the Commission.

"Obviously EU member states want to participate fully in the life of the Commission," Mr Frattini said.

But he said that some countries still favoured a smaller "slim and nimble" Commission that would be more effective at taking decisions, and a review would take place later.

When a draft constitution has been agreed, the text will be published in all EU languages and submitted for referendums in a number of member states.

Postponed

The biggest disagreement has been over voting powers in the expanded EU.

Germany and France, which together account for one-third of the bloc's population want the voting system to reflect their size.

But Spain and Poland fear domination by the bigger countries and have been fighting a fierce battle to hold on to a voting system agreed three years ago at the Nice summit.

Photo journal: Life of an MEP

The two were given 27 votes each in the future executive commission - only two less than the most populous states, including Germany which has a population double their size.

The draft constitution proposes that decisions should be adopted by a "double majority" system consisting of at least half the number of EU states representing 60% of its population.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters the voting system drawn up in Nice was legally bound to stay in place until 2009, so he favoured postponing the decision for several years.

The BBC's William Horsley says that there is still standoff and confusion over the balance of powers between the different states.

Mistrust between the various groups of countries is if anything stronger than ever before and much more hard talking lies ahead, our correspondent adds.

Military plans

The US fears the plans will undermine Nato's influence

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said a proposal on defence co-operation by the Britain, France and Germany won general backing at a dinner meeting on Friday.

"We can say that the embryo of a European defence is under way and that it's an irreversible process," he told reporters after the dinner.

The three countries agreed to reinforce the EU's military capabilities, while trying to allay American fears that this might undermine Nato, officials said.

The plan is said to involve a permanent EU planning cell, based in Brussels.

EU military planners would draw on Nato assets - notably transport planes, satellite intelligence and the alliance's communications network.

Last month, Washington described plans for European military operations independent of Nato as the biggest threat to the future of the alliance.